The Ravenclaw Diaries
by angelofjoy
Summary: Rowena's History as told through her own words. Set after Hogwarts is founded she writes her story and we see why it is said that she died of a broken heart.
1. The Lack of a Quality Education

Chapter 1: The Lack of a Quality Education

I had never thought to write down my history before, but as things have changed and become so very different in these past few years, I feel it is my duty to record a history of my life and my legacy to share with our world. I would have never thought that my life would have mattered so much, to anyone, but I see now that it has been of great importance, and so my story must be told. It is in these pages that I will tell of the history of my magical life and the life that lead to the prosperity of many of my kind. This is to be my last testament to what I have done and what I have failed to do, and if there is anything that I could have done to change it, I must apologies, for I could not have know how the end would have been. And so I leave it to you, dear reader, to judge for yourself if the actions of my colleagues and I were right and just, for if it has done anything, it has save lives and made the lives of our kind worth living.

In the beginning, when confusion reigned in the world and fear was a governing power, many felt lost and desperate for answers, but the answers were not easy to find. We lived in a very dark and trouble time. A time which is now behind us, but that we would like most to forget, and yet it is to be the beginning of the end.

At one time we were held in high esteem by kings and queens. Placed in advisory positions and openly seen in a positive light. We worked to heal the sick and protect the kingdom, giving advice and helping to make the lives of the non-magical easier. We worked very much in unity and in equality with non-magical people trying to integrate both of our ways and trying to learn from each other. If you were lucky enough to hold a position with a high noble family then it was safe for you to practice your arts, and keep your family in good and proper conditions. It was under these circumstances that I taught to be a Witch, and as my parents grew old, they taught me just how important education was. I learned from two of the greatest wizards alive, but I was one of the lucky ones, for up until a certain time there wasn't any education in the magical arts. It was passed down from generation to generation within the magical bloodlines, and though many may not believe it, there were many, many well respected and brilliant witches and wizards in those days. We were very proud back then, as we have become proud once more, but there will always be darkness and we all must pay for the actions of those who thought that they could use their magic for power, rather than good.

Unfortunately, the actions of a few of our kind painted us all as negative. The believed themselves the superior being to those who did not hold fast to our arts. The trouble with this assumption was that the non-magical beings also had their arts, and their technologies. We are not so different from the non-magical beings and they knew our weakness was just like their own. And so we were hunted like beasts, murdered _en masse_, and turned into the greatest evil that covered the land. Non-Magical beings vowed to destroy us, and they were quite successfully in brutally killing many of us. We were forced to hide and to act like them. There began to be much resentment among the magical community. The violence that had grown against us resulted in extensive hunts and many deaths, mainly young witches and wizards that did not know how to use their powers. We had to split up, leave behind the communities that we had built together with our friends in the non magical world, because as their ideas of us changed so too did their willingness to help us. We were betrayed by those whom we knew and whom we trusted, and out of fear whole families were destroyed. It was a shame, and we saw many of our families, our friends and even our traditions fall pray to the witch hunts.

It was at this time that my life becomes interesting. It's odd how it happens sometimes. I had lived a long life up to this point. I had held a position with a wealthy family, not a nobility but members in good standing and of high rank. I worked with their families and protected their children, and as such, mine grew up with theirs and there was friendship and understanding among us. We lived simply and in a way that many non-magical people lived, the only difference was that magic made our lives just a little easier, and to help our friends we used our magic to make their lives easy. I had settled into this beautiful life that had been built around me. I had a husband who was a charming man, handsome and of magical blood, but for whom magic had not been easy. He lived more as a man of the non-magical world than as the wizard he was. He had not had the education in magic that I had, and together he and I had four children, all of whom I had great and brilliant dreams for. They would all learn my magic as I had learned it and be just as prosperous as I was, and as their grandparents before them. But it was not to be.

The day came when the darkness had fallen. Some wizards, those that believed themselves better then the non-magical, became power thirsty and attacked and killed for the sake of land, lust and power. It was a sad time and many of us, who lived peacefully with the non-magical people, tried to help to bring the dark wizards and witches under control, but it was impossible to stop them and soon anyone with magical abilities were seen as dark and evil. We were treated unfairly by those whom we trusted. We were never given any trials, but sentenced to death simply for practicing what came naturally to many of us. I was forced to flee with my family. My children were young and unable to control their powers, as the children do now, and so they were easy targets, and though my husband fought and saved them when he could, he too fell to the witch hunt.

I could not get away fast enough, I was too well known, and so I was caught up in the thick of it all. I watched as my children and the children of my friends were rounded up and killed. We cannot stop death, nor can we reverse it, and so the thing that ties us and makes us like the non-magic, is that we will all die. If the heart stops beating then the brain dies then so does the body. Magic flows through us like our blood, and if our hearts stop and our brains die then there is nothing left and we return to the dust from whence we came. Many a time I had to watch as children died and I wished with all my heart that I could have died with them, but I also knew that I had to fight for them and their rights, as living beings, to make it right for the future. So that is what I vowed to do. One day I knew that I would be a part of something great. I would stand up with my fellow magical beings and prove that we could live and be productive, but at that time, it was hard to be optimistic about anything. I had lost everything. There was a lot of hate against the non-magical community that had done this too us, and I could not be as forgiving, in those times, as I am now.

With the wide spread hunt and mass murder of many of the young and uneducated witches and wizards there came a need for a safe place. Small settlement were set up all across the British Isles and the elders and most advanced witches and wizards began to cast protective spells to keep the magic from being seen. It was in one of these places that I took refuge and with my advanced abilities I became one of the few that were able to protect and teach the few young that had survives. It was in this time that I realized what would really make a difference was education and I vowed to live out the rest of my days as a teacher of witchcraft and wizardry. Little did I know that dedication to children would become my life and my passion; that I would become one of the most well known Witches in history and that children for years to come would honor me by take my name as there own.

I am Rowena Ravenclaw and this is an account of my life.


	2. Simplicity

Chapter 2: Simplicity

Like the Phoenix, who dies in flames to be reborn from the ashes, so too was the magical community to be restored. We may not have seen it in such a light back then, but as we move on, and as time heals the wounds that had caused so much hate, we too have seen a great light, and prosperous time. The glimmer of hope followed me through those days of darkness, as I continued to escape, though my heart had been broken to loose so much, but I found comfort in the simplicity of life and those who needed my help. I soon realized that I was not alone in the world, as I had been beginning to think, but rather that there were those upon whom providence has smiled, and I needed to help those who just did not have the knowledge that I had.

My life as a teacher started as so many do, because there is always an undying need for role models and knowledge builders. I was a simple woman, though not old by magical standards, nor did I look old, but rather, I was well aged in my magical abilities when I escaped the witch hunt and safely established myself as one of the elders of my colony. Years in relation to the knowledge that I had was what made me an elder, for there were people far older than I, with far less knowledge that looked up to me. Our first duty, before teaching ever crossed my mind, was to protect, and although I had never protected a great number of people before, I knew that within the magic there was the possibility of doing so. I had lost much, during the dark days of the witch hunt, many of my spell books, which I had written because the past tradition had been an oral one, had been destroyed and the only thing that I had been able to keep with me was my wand. But I knew enough that I could train myself, and if my magical belonging still existed, I was able to summon them. And so it began. I reestablished myself in a little cottage, among several other cottages, in a little village that we named _Simplicity_ and I began my studies in defense and teaching those who did not know how to use their magic.

My first attempts at protection, and protective spells, were quite trivial. Once out side of the barriers that I had worked so hard to construct, the magic broke away and it was very difficult for anyone to return to the safety of _Simplicity_, so I worked, day and night, to perfect the protective spells that I had placed on the small community, while the families within my protective care began to rebuild their lives. The small village did not have much. We had a few farms, a man who had been trained in a trade and just our little magical knowledge to help us rebuild. It was hard, slow, work, for we work like those with out magic, but we succeeded and soon comfort in our homes and our village has started to develop.

In the first days of _Simplicity_ there were but twelve of us living in close proximity to each other. I was not the oldest but I was the wises witch among them and with me, I welcomed two other young families into Simplicity and one family of elderly colleagues who were now raising their grandchild because their family had perished, much as mine had. My heart went out to each and every one of the Witches and Wizards who, in that time, became my new family.

The youngest family was made up of four, utterly terrified, pure bloods known as the Fairweathers, and they were the first. Jerome, a young Wizard of twenty and his wife Melba, sixteen, and their twins, Lex and Jemma who were not yet a year old, came to me by accident as I traveled along. I had not known of their magical abilities when I had found them. Jerome and Melba had saved their babies from a house fire when the thatched roof of their small cottage had been set alight by accident. The witch hunt had come into their village and the people that lived very close to young Jerome, at the time he was working as a blacksmith and covering up his magical powers, were accused of practicing Witchcraft. They were attacked and their house was set alight. As it burned the wind carried the fire to the neighboring houses and the Fairweathers, though at the time not believed to have any connection with magic, were caught in the crossfire. Once everything that they had was destroyed, and the fear that someone would soon make connections between Jerome and the people that had been initially accused of Witchcraft; his sister was the wife of the man accused who lived right next door to them. Jerome and Melba decided to flee with their children, and as I was wondering I stumbled upon them, huddled together in the chill of the winter winds in the hollows of a tree. I had not seen them, as I passed, but my attention was caught by the whimper of a babe and my heart ached for the poor children, not yet truly adults, who had to protect their infants. This was the account of my first acquisition for the community of _Simplicity_. I did not know if they had any magical powers when I met them, but my instincts told me that they would not survive the winter winds if I did not help them. We were alone, deep in the woods and I had all of my magical knowledge to protect me, but the simple little family could not even build a fire to keep them warm, nor did they have food enough to keep all four of them alive. My heart broke to see the four of them, and I felt like I was staring at my terrified children when the witch hunt came to take them from me. We wandered along together, me performing as little magic as possible, out of their sights, so that I may keep them safe and alive, but there came a day when Jerome came forward and told me his secret. He had never learned to use his magic, nor had his beloved Melba, because their families had left them and ran off in search of power with the dark wizards of our world. The offer was put before them to go along, but Jerome was too pure of heart, and he did not agree with the magic and the darkness that they were bringing to the world. He learned to be a black smith, built Melba a house and lived there with her until their children were born and they were chased away. I took great pity on the young man, wanting more than ever to teach him how to protect his family. So I confided in him, vowed to find him the materials necessary to protect himself and his family, and gave him a promise that I would build for him a village of safety where the darkness would never find us. He became like my son, respectful and attentive to everything I had to teach him, and I quickly learned to love him and his wife as my own dear family.

The second family, an older couple who had rescued their grand son when his parents had been accused of Witchcraft, was my next acquisition to the community. The young boy Levon, aged eleven, was starting to show signed of his magical abilities and as such he was unable to control them. This caught the attention, and caused the suspicion, by those who lived around them. His grandparents, Haas and Gretel, had faked the child's death with a potion, as both were proficient wizards in the potions making art, and were able to steel away into the night as their village and their families burned. Haas and Gretel White were old and dear friends of mine, and when I had received their owl about the incidence I invited them to come to me and to join me in my search for simplicity and safety. They came, following the owl that I had returned to them, like a trail of bread crumbs through the dark forest, and found me and my young companions. We traveled like gypsies, wore the clothing and disguises of the poor and impoverished, and hid so long as the sun was shining. It was a hard winter to live through, but we managed, and so our community, now numbered eight, began looking for a location, deep in the forest where we could be safe and start new lives.

And finally the third family, consisting of four members, as well, was the Brightrocks. Samuel and Arithena had been well loved and extremely prosperous when they married and were hired to protect a group of noblemen using their magic for good. They worked faithfully and diligently as the Witch Hunt raged on. The noblemen were kind and understanding, and did not agree with the Witch Hunt, and so they protected Samuel and Arithena as long as they could. Early in their marriage Arithena gave birth to their first child, Milany, a beautiful baby girl who became the pride of her parents and the God child of their noble patron. She was brought up like a princess, given everything her heart could have ever desired, and praised for her magical talents early on. But, by the time the Witch Hunt reached its frightening peak, the noblemen could not protect their magical companions. Samuel and Arithena lost everything when their patrons were captured and accused of treason. They took their child, who did not understand what was happening or why she could not keep all of her beautiful things, and while pregnant with their second child, Samuel and Arithena fled. They sent word, by owl, to every living witch or wizard that they had known of, but their cries for help went unheard. So many people had been killed, but my owl, the one that I had trained since it had been just a fledgling, brought to me a letter that had been discarded when its recipient could not be found. I sent word, as secretly as I could, to this poor couple, hoping beyond hope that they had survived alone, and I waited and prayed for them. One day, in early spring, they arrived, seeking me out to help them find refuge and bringing the small group of us together in the darkness of the untouched wilderness. It was in that place, a small clearing encircled by great sentinel like trees, that we decided to stop and stay. It was where we, all together, decided to settled and build our lives. Lukas, the second child born to Samuel and Arithena, was the first child born in the village of_ Simplicity_.

These people, the families that I had gathered around me, became my children, and it was up to me to give them the protection that they so desperately sought. Among us were the helpless, the un-educated and the frightened, and I knew, deep in my heart that I had to do everything in my power to protect them. I wanted so much for the children that I had lost, in those days of the witch hunt, but my dreams were reborn in the small gathering of people that I now kept close to me. I had been so open and vulnerable to the attacks because I believed, with a little knowledge, people would come to understand and not fear us. But I was wrong, and I paid dearly for my naivety. I was not about to let those dreams go unprotected for the little ones that now lived with me in _Simplicity_. Among us, we had knowledge enough to rebuild, and to learn from one another. There was a little protection from the magic that I was able to provide and from Samuel and Arithena, and the potions that Haas and Gretel were able to concoct to keep us warm and healthy worked wonders. Soon, with hard work, blistering finger, and fear at ever turn, _Simplicity_ came to be, and we began to live again, born out of the ashes of our past.


	3. Fear

Chapter 3: Fear.

Fear is a terrible thing. It is being lost. It is being without your senses, your mind, your eyes, your feelings. It is dishonesty and distrust. It is broken promises and hurtful words. It is hate and it is pain. It is all consuming. It can make even the strongest and the wisest of people question their own abilities. It can turn good into bad, but it can also turn bad into good. When we learn to recognize fear and to stand up for what we know is right, then we can conquer it. Life is never without fear, but life does not have to be consumed by it, or ruled by it. You do not have to live your life constantly in fear, but always know that it is there; for if we forget about it, that is when it sneaks up on us and consumes us. I am scared, most of the time, and yet I will not believe that there will never be comfort and companionship, understanding and belief, it is what makes me as human as the next person. I love and I live, and if fear needs to be apart of my life, and the life of others, then I shall do everything in my power to comfort, to console, and to keep fear and despair from being something that overpowers. I will use fear to help me teach, but not to scare my pupils away from learning. I will use fear to help me always be thankful for what is good and just in my life. I will use fear because fear needs to be used to keep it out of our way. Fear is a part of life, but it does not have to define who we truly are.

Breaking the horrible bonds of fear took time. Twelve relative strangers, all of magical background and all shunned by human society, living together in the deepest, darkest recesses of the forest and trying to believe in a magic that was new and unexplored is very frightening. It did not help that many of the people who had come to _Simplicity_ were very young and still plagued by the fears of their childhoods. It was a dark time for us, trying to believe we were capable of protecting each other. It was difficult and there were many days, and countless night, when we did not know what would become of us. But slowly, very slowly, we learned to be apart of one another's lives. We learned not to fear one another, but to love one another and to work together for a greater good. We became a society, a family, and a mechanism to dispel the darkness and bring back the light. Fear, though ever present did not rule our lives, but was like a warning, an omen, and a constant that we needed to keep us unified. We were not afraid of each other, but rather, what lurked just around the river bed, or past the next cluster of trees. We had settled, and yet there was a lack of calm among us. We were trying with all our might to live our lives and rebuild, but none of us really knew how to do so, and so we worked together and learned what we could from one another.

My early days in _Simplicity_ proved to me the need to teach these young men and women just what they were capable of. My older colleagues, Haas and Gretel, were brilliant wizards, I admire them greatly, but they were quite aged, and although they could make potions that I could only dream about, there were still magics that they did not understand. They had taken an interest and specialized in their craft and I respect them greatly for that, but though they could make us Polyjuice and elixirs to heal, they could not perform some of the basic spells that I believed to be imperative to our survival. In any other respect, these older people acted and lived just as the non magic did. It was only by their potions that one would know of their magical heritage, and the pure, unaltered, blood that flowed through their veins. I knew that I had to help them; to show them what magic could do to make their lives easier, but they had lived all their lives in the same way and did not believe themselves in need of anything else. I believe that they had fears that were unspoken toward the magic that I knew and that I could teach them. I knew that it would take time and convincing, but someday I vowed to do everything in my power to put their fears to rest and make the remainder of their time on earth easy. I knew then, as I watched my friends, that there needed to be some way to teach young people all of the basics that magic could provide. There had to be a standard to the teaching practice. I vowed then and there to establish some form of curriculum for those that I would take under my tutelage and they would know not only my magic but that of others as well.

The Whites were not the only ones that did not know the extent of the magic that they were capable of. Even my young friends, Samuel and Arithena, who worked exclusively in protection and deception spells, were at a loss when it came to Transfigurations and the secrets to be found in the ruins that made up the most ancient of spells. They watched in awe as Haas and Gretel labored as the non magic do, and still found great interest and beautiful magic in the potions that they perfected. Haas and Gretel would take the young Brightrocks under their tutelage and teach them all about the potions, and the Whites found in the Brightrocks eager and attentive pupils. Early on, as _Simplicity_ was evolving itself, I began to see the branches of the future of education beginning to develop. Ultimately, I believed, that every one of my colleagues, including myself, were at a grave disadvantage, but I believed in studying, and with hard work and knowledge I would learn, and so would they. We would teach each other how the skills of our pasts had brought us this far, and we would learn together everything new and exciting that magic had to offer us. But this was only those who were older, what would happen to the children of our community?

Some of us once believed in constant study of our craft, but there were others, once they were satisfied with what they could do, who simply stopped and continued living as if in complete ignorance to what their potential really was. Every witch and wizard has the potential to be great, to save lives, and to marvel in the wonderful things that magic can do. We can make the stars shine and the weather change, we can grow and multiply the forests and the fields, but so many of our kinds just don't know how to harness the immense power of their abilities. My heart ached to learn. I loved it with every fiber of my being and the magic that dwelled within me cried out to be used. When I could find a way to bring forth beautiful things, ever part of me rejoiced. I was never sacred of the magic. In my mind, it was always beautiful, fantastic, and worth its weight in gold. I was one of the richest beings in the world because I could use my powers, but not everyone saw it quite the same. I wanted so desperately to instill my passion on those around me, but there were many fears still in place, and many preconceived notions that endangered my progress. It would take time.

This is the difference between a true academic and the general population. Those who believe that knowledge is power will endure and understand and make this world a better place. It will ultimately end this conflict and protect our people. On the other hand, someone, someday, may realize what knowledge can do and will decide to use that knowledge to gain power. My biggest fear is that power will corrupt, corruption will lead to greed and hatred, and greed will lead us right back to the mass genocide that we have faced. I have watched enough of my people die. I fear that one day more than magical people will die to quench someone's thirst for power. I have a horrible, sinking, feeling that there are darker and much more terrible times to come… darker than they were when this all began and darker than most of our darkest fears. I pray that it is not because of me and what I have planned that these dark witches and wizards fine the knowledge that will lead them down this terrible path to power. But I fear if I am to achieve what I have set out to do, I may, in some small way, shape the darkness and the fear that is to come.


	4. Learning To Play

Chapter 4: Learning to Play

With my fears for the future, and the dark omens that had come to me in my dreams, I was reluctant at first to trust anyone, but my want to help and to teach was too great to keep my silence. Among us there were the very young, too young in my opinion to start truly understanding the magic that flowed through their veins, but there were others who were ready and ripe for the magic that they had inherited. The young Fairweathers, for example, as well as little Levon and the precious Milany, who needed the beginnings of an education that had been denied them were among the first that my heart cried out for. I knew what my parents had taught me, and I had marveled in the nurturing treatment that they had brought to my life, and so I decided to take my young colleagues and teach them in the ways that I had once learned.

My first task, though it was a very difficult one, was to procure wands for all of those among us that did not have any. I knew the general principle of wand making, but I had not been taught, nor had I wanted to take the responsibility of such magic that only a true and chosen wand maker was born with. Though the principles of wand making are relatively well know, it takes a very special kind of magic that seems to be a genetic trait. I would never be able to fabricate wands because I am not a child of the wand makers. I had known of only two families in my life, but I was not certain whether or not either of them had survived. I needed these basic tools, the most important tools for any witch or wizard, and so I sent my owl away once again with letters to the wand makers. She flew out into the vastness of the world to see if she could procure four very different and very personal wands.

As I waited for the replay to my owl, I began to spend more time with the youngest members of our community. Jerome and Melba were adults in their own respect, but they were children in their magical education. Neither of them had even held a wand and as I got to know them better, and spent many hours caring for the two babes that brought even more work to these two young parents, I knew that I had to do everything in my power to give them the magic that would at least help them raise their family. Jerome, who had studied as a blacksmith, was reluctant to the offer that I had presented to him. He believed in hard work, back breaking work as it was, and that the magic that had gotten him in this trouble in the first place was not worth learning. Melba, on the other hand, was a free little spirit. She loved everything that was beautiful and had taken a great interest in the fields and the trees and all of the magical plants that might be found around us. She began to keep a garden, working as hard as her husband to grow food, but also to keep some of the magical plants that I had pointed out to her. It pleased me greatly to see this love of nature developing in the young woman and I wanted to give to her all the education that I could in the area of Herbology. It was an important art, both for my self and my older colleagues who needed the herbs and the flora for their potions. To have among us a true Herbologist was a fantastic prospect and I knew, deep within, that Melba had that gift. Because of her interest in the magic, her husband followed suit and soon I had convinced both Jerome and Melba that an education was completely within their reach and that I would do everything in my power to teach them what I knew. I began teaching both of them, in theory to begin with, what they could look forward to in their magical lives. It became a source of great pleasure for both of them as the village began to establish itself and we all settled into the work that needed to be done.

There was nothing left to be fancy in _Simplicity_. We had started with nothing, most of us coming with little more than the clothing on our back in search of refuge, but as the village began to take shape and our lives began to be lived in honest and shared responsibility, life became easier. It was at this time, as the homes had been built and the crops began to grow, that I began taking the young Levon and Milany under my wing. Levon was a very brilliant young man. He had taken great pride in the primitive, non magical schooling that he had received and I loved to listen to him speak. He held incites into so many thing that you would find in the oldest and wisest of men, and yet he was just a boy of eleven. Levon showed me just how much thirst for knowledge there was out there in the world. He wanted to learned, marveled at it and flourished within it. It was like play to him to learn the skills that would lead to his magic. He was mathematical. He was theoretical. He was a philosopher and a scientist and a man of great contemplation all wrapped into a little boys body, and by him I knew that this age was the perfect age to begin with. Levon would be my first, and my most brilliant student. Looking back, as I sit here in the castle and look out the windows at the dark forest and the lake, I still think of that little boy, who now teaches by my side. Levon is a true Ravenclaw.

Milany, though a brilliant little witch was a little different. Milany had lived long enough to know that she was special. She was the apple of her father eye and her mothers little treasure. She had been an only child for thirteen years before her brother was born in _Simplicity_. She had lived with magic all her life, but she had never been able to procure a wand because her parents believed her too young and wanted her to have a beautiful, playful childhood. By the time they did believe her ready to learn what they had to teach her, the witch hunts had begun and they were on the run for their lives. When I first started to show interest in little Milany, I saw what an only child, and a spoiled child, really was. But she was not cruel or overbearing; no she was simply not used to the idea of living with others. Milany had grown up believing that she was a princess and living in _Simplicity_ was very difficult for her. She did not understand why she could not have all of the things that she had, had before and I felt sorry for the poor little girl. She needed to learn how to have companionship in her life, but not to be bringing up a baby brother. She needed someone close to her age. She needed to understand that she wasn't the only one that had to live in the poverty that we were all feeling. But I understand why it was hard. Her world had crumbled and now I was trying to help her build it all back up. Milany did become a very kind and very loving young woman. She mastered her arts and showed great interest and aptitude in learning. She gave freely to others, but those beginnings in _Simplicity_ changed the little princess into a simpler creature and it cost her greatly in the process.

It was a full year before my messages found any answer, and although Levon had aged and had marveled and impressed us all with his need for knowledge, and Milany became a beautiful, hard working young lady, the wands finally arrived in a sack tied to my owl's leg. They were not the only things that had been sent by way of Owl. There was a great gift, for all of us, and a true symbol of what _Simplicity_ had become. My heart was filled with joy and anticipation for this very exciting time, and the turning point, that lead me and my new family down the path that would establish us all, one day, in the great castle as great teachers for the future of the magical population.


	5. Nabi and Flama

Chapter 5: Nabi and Flama.

When I was young my mother and father taught me to truly respect and protect all of the creatures that we shared this planet with. My parents were great academics and saw the magic within every creature and living thing. From a very early age I was surrounded by the magical and mystical creatures that my parents adored so much. There was nothing within creation that was not sacred to them and as I grew and leaned my devotion to everything living grew as well. I was never without my familiars and all of the other creatures that I had learned to care for. I took a particular interest in anything that flew, but although there were many creatures of the sky I raised and bread birds of all kinds.

In the early days of _Simplicity_, although there was always so much to be preoccupied with, I began keeping and locating some of the creatures that I had lost during the witch hunt. I had, had to let them all go into the wild, sending them off to be protected in the great forests because some of them would have been killed on sight. They were truly remarkable and special creatures; centaurs and unicorns and hippogriffs. They needed to hide, and I needed to say goodbye to that time of my life, but with the simpler times within the protection of _Simplicity_, I began calling all my birds and my dear creatures back to me.

My owl, Nabi, who stayed with me throughout the danger, was but one of the glorious feathered friend that I attracted. It wasn't long before the ravens and the sparrows and even the sweet singing finches found their way back to me. At first the young people of our small village were leery of my birds, but it was not long before Nabi had brought to me one of the rarest and most wonderful gifts that existed in all of creation.

Nabi was one of my oldest and wisest friends, and those who knew me in my life knew her. She was the most beautiful grey owl I had ever beheld. Her wings and her body were covered in markings that reminded me of butterflies in the spring with all the light delicate colours; yellows and whites, and browns and greys, and I named her thusly. She was my butterfly and my keeper. She remained with me, even after I had released her to the wild. She followed me and continued to do what she had always done. She was my messenger; the bringer of news and the sender of things. I trusted Nabi with anything and she was the best at keeping herself out of danger. There were many dangers in those days, but Nabi could still find everything that I sought and she brought back everything that I had ever needed. She was my savior.

When I sent her out on one of my most demanding errands I began to worry when she hadn't returned. The time in _Simplicity_ passed quickly and yet, every day, I wondered what had happened to my beautiful, intelligent companion. It was one of my brightest, most thrilling, days when Nabi returned; a sack tied to her leg and a message in her beak. In the bag I found the items that I had sent her out to find. Four, never used, brand new and magically charged wands, one for each of the young people that needed one. Though I was happy to receive them, I knew that it was only part of the problems. A wizard does not choose the wand, but rather, the wand chooses the wizard. I had four wands and four wizards but that did not mean that each of the wands would be right for each of my young students. I hoped that it would work out, but I had my doubts.

The wands were not the only thing in the sack, however, deep in the bottom, wrapped in bands of cloth was a brilliant, translucent black orb. I knew what it was the moment I beheld it, even though I had never seen one before. It was an egg, but not just any egg; it was the egg of one of the rarest, most magical, flying creatures I had ever learned about. It was the egg of a phoenix. My hands trembled to hold it and feel the warmth that radiated off of it. The phoenix was a mystery in itself. They were usually solitary bird that spent their whole life with the one person that raised it, or with the family that it spent generations with. There were so few in existence that it was hard to fathom the idea of any two phoenixes coming into contact long enough to procreate. The egg was a myth in itself, but I held it in the palms of my hands. I was to be the recipient of one of the greatest protectors in all of magic. It was now my duty to hatch the egg and raise the phoenix that dwelled within it.

With the parcel, Nabi had brought me a letter, one that would change the process of the small village of _Simplicity_. It was from a very dear and old friend. It read thusly:

_My Dearest Rowena,_

_ How my heart leapt to see the brilliant figure of your owl, Nabi, descend upon me in my simple state. I have been in hiding for many months as everything around me is crumbling. I had nearly lost all hope of ever seeing anyone that had been dear to me when your owl landed, ever so gently, on my shoulder. I wept to feel her there and to know that you were living. I am sorry to tell you that our dear friends, the wand makers you so eagerly sought, have fallen to this hunt, but I have for you what I have been able to gather from what was left of them. I hope that these four wands find you and help your companions on their journey through wizardry. We need to hold fast to our traditions or we may loose them forever. But, like most things, out of the ashes had formed a great miracle. I entrust to you the mythical blessing that I have been so very fortunate to witness. No other witch in the country would be more capable than you to take this egg and bring forth the bird that may constantly and forever protect you and your kin. My journey, dear Rowena, is not over. I am in search of any and all living witches and wizards that I may find and save from the poor and desolate villages that have come to be ruined. I beg that I might, in the near future, come to you and to you village so that I may be able to bring hope to those in my protection. We, dear one, must work together. We must save lives. Be brave, dear, for I am coming for you, and you are doing good and prospering in this world. _

_ I will not hold your owl longer. I am sure you have been missing her, and she you. Take her back from the fray and remember that there is a bigger plan for all of us._

_ I remain, your obedient friend, Godric. _

The letter was unexpected, especially from Godric whom I had not seen or heard from in many, many years, but I replied to his letter, my heart all a flutter, and set to my task of teaching my students and hatching my phoenix.

Flama, as I call the beautiful creature, was hatched in my kitchen fire, as the winds and the storms of our second winter in the village began.

The wands, I am thankful to say, were perfect beyond my belief and each of my students connected with their wands as they were meant to. I began, as winter raged and my phoenix grew, my first lessons with Jerome, Melba, Milany and Levon. Those first days of magic showed me just how important teaching would become in my life. A year had passed, and though I had taught them in theory, I only started to see the fruits of my labour as they each changed feathers into teacups and cause fireworks to explode to the cries of a juvenile phoenix that was all a flutter at the commotion around my cottage kitchen.


	6. My Love For Godric Gryffindor

Chapter 6: My Love for Godric Gryffindor.

I believe it is time, dear readers, to tell you about my past or rather the past as it pertains to one Godric Gryffindor; for he does end up being one of the leading men in my life. If I am not mistaken, the primary reason anyone would wish to know about me and the things that I have done would be in connection, directly, to Godric, Hogwarts and my fellow founders of that great school. My knowledge of Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin will eventually be told in these memoirs, but for now and in accordance with that I have already written, I must tell you now that my love for Godric Gryffindor goes far deeper than the history that I have thus far introduced.

I met Godric when I was but a young girl. We were born in the same village and grew up together in relative harmony with everyone that was around us. Godric, always the adventurer, was brave and out going even in the early season of his youth. Many of the elders of our village expected great and mysterious things from him, but I was but a student to them. My name was never associated with anyone as great and as brave as Godric, but we were friends in those early days. He marveled at my work ethic, even as a young lady, and was taught by all of the best and most accomplished witches and wizards just as I was. He and I, you could say, were scholars together in the early turns of our youth. It was not hard, in those days, living and being together all the time to know each other better then we had known many of the others that wandered about in the same manner within our small village. I knew of Godric's hopes and dreams. We told each other our deepest secrets and helped each other with everything that we were learning. We had spent many days and nights together in the fields and forests that surrounded our village and we master and practiced magic spells, curses, potions and transfiguration together to better our understand of the gifts that we had so luckily being given. I saw his enthusiasm for magic and for life, and I will admit, in the early days of my adolescence I had fallen in love with a man I knew I did not deserve. He was kind, brilliant, brave, and I was not. I was kind, to be sure or I hoped I was and brilliant, but my bravery was of a different kind. I was a helper, a nurturer and an academic, and Godric was a leader.

When I took up my place, with my parents, in the fields of study that Godric was not as interested in, and he, having always felt a pull toward adventure, move on into the protective arts and the pursuits of a young and wild heart, we grew apart, but my love for him never failed me. It wasn't until we were quite old enough to protect, defend and establish ourselves that the dilemmas of our very different personalities began to present themselves. I was completely ready to settle down, have a family and raise my children, but Godric had come of age and hungered for adventures and magics that people only talked about. I knew in that time that Godric and I would never be more than childhood friends.

My heart broke for the first time as the village began to prepare for Godric to leave on his great adventure. There was nothing more for him to learn from us. Nothing remained in the village that interested him, and although he vowed to return to where his roots had been laid, he was too young and wild to stay within the confines of society. He needed adventure and he was going to find it. He came to me, the night before he left, and for the first time in a long time we had one of our chats. We talked about everything, our hopes and our dreams, and although I tried to cover my emotions with everything that I had, I could not keep my sorrow or my heartache from Godric. My confession came as a shock to the boy I had always loved, to the man who was now my ideal model of happiness, but even my confessions could not keep Godric from his adventure. He believed quite ardently that he was not the kind of man that would ever make me happy, and he begged that I should let him go and forget about what I had said. He believed I would fall in love with just the right man and that all of my dreams would come true, but in that moment I knew, more than ever, that he was wrong.

Godric left the very next morning, while the brilliant early rays of the sunrise were sweetly kissing the outskirts of the village. I believed he thought that everyone was still asleep, that he would not have to try and say good bye to those he loved, but I was awake. I watched him leave from the shadows of the village square and I cried all the rest of the day as the image of him riding off into the sunrise shattered my heart into a million pieces.

It was many years before Godric returned to the village. We had not heard from him. He never sent his owls. He never kept his promise to return to us to celebrate our feasts. He simply disappeared, and as much as I hate to admit it, I believed he had met with some terrible beast, some untimely accident, in short, I believed that he had died. I forced myself to believe, after three years of pining for him, that he was not coming back and I did fall in love.

My late husband was quite a man, and I did love him very deeply. Rochard Ravenclaw came into our little village like a prince on a white horse, and at the time, my heart was ripe and my resolve completely set on moving forward. It was so very similar to the way in which Godric had left, and yet it brought great hope. I had been awake, I always rise with the dawn just like the birds, and I was fetching water from the well for the creatures that I had been raising. The sun was raising on the beautiful summer morn, as this man, a complete stranger, road up to the well, dismounted from his steed, and asked that I might give him something to drink and some food as he had been traveling for days. My heart leapt, my cheeks blushed and I could not deny him anything. Rochard's adventures, his knowledge of how the non-magical lived and worked, and the idea of settling in a quite place was all that it took to set my heart a flame. He taught me everything he had learned while abroad and I taught him everything else that he did not already know. He was a wizard, but he had never truly learned his art and I had begun teaching him. Magic, as you get older, isn't as easy to learn as it is when you are young, but Rochard lived and worked hard. He could do so many things that so many of us had never learned, and he tried so hard to learn the magic, which eventually started to come easily to him. I took great pride in what I had taught him, and I felt safe and protected by all that he knew and had learned in his time with the non-magical. He was a warrior, he fought bravely, he knew what he was doing with weapons that witches and wizards did not understand, and he was handsome. I fell madly in love with this man.

We married, settled in the village of my childhood and began raising our farm and ultimately our family. Rochard worked hard, labored for the greater good of his adoptive village and taught the young men, who wished to learn, the arts he had picked up in his travels. We were a well protected village, as far as I was concerned, and I was completely ready to live out my days, become an elder of the village and watch as the new magic began to flow between Rochard and myself. I bore him three children, we kept a thriving farm, many animals, and were extremely content with one another, and I believed that my life was complete. That was until Godric arrived on the wind, and the witch hunt followed in his stead.

The stormy night, in which Godric returned, should have been an omen to all of us who watched the stars, read the signs, and saw what happens to the earth when danger comes lurking, but I, for one, was distracted. I could not feel comfortable with Godric back in the village. I was madly in love with my husband and completely prepared to continue in the easy life. I wanted Godric to be jealous. I wanted him to see what he had missed out on, and I wanted him to envy the things that my Rochard could do. I did not even speak to him when he returned to the village. I simply pasted him by pretending not to see him and my heart broke when he did not even acknowledge me. I was very foolish then.

Godric road into the village like a man on fire, he told of all that had been happening and how Magical people were being slaughtered all over the country. We didn't want to believe him. We were certain that our village, by the tutelage of Rochard, was well protected and prepared to fight to protect ourselves, but we were wrong.

Rochard was not a man of inaction, he was not about to be defeated by prejudice and he fought long and hard to protect his family. I love him to this very day; for all that he had done, but his best was not good enough and I lost everything. I lost my husband, I believe I lost Godric and I lost my three children, but somehow, I survived.

You see, dear reader, why I would be so surprised to receive a letter from Godric. In the days of the attack on my village, Godric, our prodigal son, had returned. There were great celebrations, but he had been bringing to us the news of the horrors that had captured the country and the continent that we occupied. His warnings went unheard, my husband was among the non believers, and they vowed to survive because magic would not be stopped by those who hated. They were wrong and in the battle, I believed I watched the two men I have loved die at the hands of those who hated us so very much, as well as all of my children and every single person who had been apart of my life up until that point. I had met many people that had come and gone from that village, but as I watched everything fall apart I believed that magic would be ruined completely. That we, as a people, would become extinct just like the dinosaurs. I disappeared, fear had completely captured me. I turned myself into a bird and flew away. I watched in cowardice as my village crumbled. I regret not dying beside my husband, with my children, but what can I do now and should I be foolish to rejoice in the idea that Godric lived? The letter that arrived with the beautiful egg and the four wands, brought hope and grief, but at least someone else from my tortured village was alive. He truly was our prodigal son. I didn't feel as alone in the world knowing that Godric lived within it.


	7. Spring

Chapter 7: Spring.

Spring arrived in _Simplicity_ as many other springs have rolled in before it. The sleepiness of winter fell away from the villages and we, all of us, became busy as little bees preparing for the work that was going to begin. We planted our fields as the days became warmer. We watched as our animals began to birth their young and a second generation came to be within the small village of _Simplicity_. I watched as the birds returned, the magical beasts became more attuned to our presence and just how much comfort had come into the little village that we had established. It seemed to me that we had been very lucky in our escape, but the way we all began to work with one another began to seem like second nature.

My expectation, as spring arrived, was very high. I had hoped and prayed to hear from Godric as the winter raged on and I waited and watched as my beautiful phoenix hatched. When Nabi returned to me, without a letter, I was hurt but I was not surprised. It had not been the first time that I had sent word to Godric, I had done it foolishly in my youth and never received anything in return, but I believed that he would have the decency to reply when there had been so much damage and destruction in our world. I gave up, as I knew that spring would be upon us soon, and turned my attention to the birds and the animal and all of the babes that had come to us.

In my wandering, through the forest that surrounded my little village, I had come to find the animals of my youth. They were not the animals that I had raised from little cubs or chicks, but rather, animals that I admired, and as I watched them they became accustom to my presence. There were many creatures, a tribe of Centaurs roamed near by and protected us with their magic and their knowledge. There were also Unicorns, many more in those days than there are now, and I watched them with an eager heart and they gifted to me the sight of their young. Flama marveled and learned in the trees and among the magical creatures that we had found together. The young Phoenix was playful and joyful in her first spring. Life was completely new to the little bird and though she was a terribly homely thing, all black and grey like soot, she was a pleasure to behold and gave to me much affection. She would, one day, grow out of her awkwardness and become a truly mystical creature, but she was but a babe learning to fly and play, and I knew that I would, probably, never see such an innocent and rare sight again. I saw animals of all shapes and sizes in the forest during that second spring, and I felt like some sense of normalcy was coming to me as I moved through my life in the little village. But I was not the only one who had learned, in some simple way, to find joy all around me.

Jemma and Lex had blossomed before me as the winter progress and the whole village celebrated the arrival of their second year. They toddled about, were joyful, and showed all of the signs of magical children as laughter was like music and twinkles were in there eyes, alive and sparkling as the magic bubbled within them. Levon also celebrated a great birthday in the winter months and showed constant growth in his ability. He learned this Accio spell almost immediately and began summoning things from all over the village. I gave to him a book of spells that I had been transcribing for him. I had made one for Milany as well, but it would wait for her birthday that would be happening late in the spring. I was sad that I had not heard from Godric, but there was just too much to be happy about as spring arrived and magic flowed in my small village.

March turned into April and then turned into May, and we celebrated Milany's birthday, her accomplishments and all of the things that were to come in a young ladies life. She had begun to accept her situation and thrive within it. She was a kind, helpful young woman, determined to help in the fields, to mend and make clothing, and to bring about goodness and pleasure within the village. She became a little helper to Arithena as she raised her son Lukas, and Milany began to sprout in her beauty and liveliness, parading her baby brother around with giggles and songs that flowed from her lips like ancient melodies. The young lady had learned to smile and appreciate what she had been given in her life and she learned to be thankful for the simplicity that she was now living with.

Everything seemed to be turning into something normal and pleasant when suddenly our world was shaken again. The rainy season of April brought in many of the storms and foreboding feelings that it had done in the past, but none of us expected what would be brought in with the storms. There is an old saying, 'April showers bring May flowers' but that was not the case for us. May came to us filled with screaming winds and forceful showers that drowned and flooded us and the village. We waded our way through April and into May as the deep depressions of something wicked came upon us.

One evening, as the rain pelted the roofs of our cottages, the magical barrier of our village was tested, and broken. We, all of the members of the village of _Simplicity_, took up our wands and were prepared to defend the village, but as quickly as the magic had fallen it was replaced and strangers began to walk among us. They arrived, veiled and cloaked and from what I could see through the storm that was attacking us, there were enough to outnumber those that lived in the village. I gathered my things, worked quickly to protect myself and rushed out into the rain to greet those that walked like dark shadows through the village. I was prepared to fight if I had to, if these were unkind wizards, but a part of my heart rejoiced to see them and know that there were more of us.

As I came forth from my cottage, my phoenix perched one my shoulder and granting me the added warmth of her body, so too did the other elders come forth leaving the children in their beds not knowing what was passing around them. I walked, followed by my peers, up to the leader who walked into the village square, and waited as the thunder shook us once again.

"I am looking for Rowena Ravenclaw," a harsh, husky voice shouted through the rain at me and my heart fluttered.

"I am she," I stated and waited to hear him speak again. I knew who it was, but I wanted to hear the voice.

"My dear friend," he said pulling back his cloaks hood and showing me the face of a man who had not groomed, but whose eyes glowed as brightly and as handsomely as they had in our youth. "I must ask you to accept us into your village and give sanctuary to the sick and the lost that I bring to you." Godric stated and motioned to the gathering, the multitudes, that followed him. "These are those who are left. They are the survivors of magical blood that I have gathered and protected in the years following the end of the witch hunt. When I saw your owl, received your call for help, I knew that I would find a place for these poor and innocent travelers. I am sorry I did not respond to your owl, but it is still very dangerous for us. These people need a safe place and _Simplicity_ became their hope." He stated as the cloaked and the hooded men and women nodded as the rain violent hissed around us.

"We will do everything we can," I stated and motioned for the crowds to be taken into the small dwellings to get out of the rain.

Godric and three other people followed me back to my small cottage. There was barely room for two of us, but I managed to magic the space into being and I watched as the lost and broken travelers divested themselves of their traveling garments, they were soaked through, and they all came and sat around my small table. My heart leapt and tears filled my eyes as I spied a young girl, no more than eleven, who had followed Godric into my home. She was pail, there was illness in her eyes, and she collapsed onto the floor near the fire. My heart sunk. The other two, who had followed Godric, rushed to her aid, but I was paralyzed with fear.

"You know who she is," Godric stated as he knelt down beside the young girl.

I could do nothing but nod.

"Your bird is not yet old enough to gift this girl life. All that we can do is pay that young Helena can pull through." Godric stated. "She is in much danger. I am surprised she made it this far." He stated and began to work his magic, as I watched in absolute disbelief.

My youngest daughter, a child I had not seen in nearly three years and whom I believed to be dead, was alive and dying at my fireside.


	8. Helena

Chapter 8: Helena.

Never in my life was I enthralled and frightened in the same moment. I was shocked to know that I was not alone in the world. I was mortified that I had left my daughter behind, still alive when I fled. I was thrilled that my daughter had survived the onslaught of the witch hunt in our village, but she was dying at my feet and I couldn't do anything for her. The strength that she had once had to carry her through the terrible times was being given up right before my eyed. I had never felt useless in my abilities before that day, but in that moment, as I watched others fuss over the small, shivering, body at my fire side, I felt like I had failed as a person and as a witch, but most of all as a mother. I regret this day still, and I believe I will forever regret what I have done, but I have been blessed with a child that belongs to me and a life that is still living in my image.

Helena made it through that first night in _Simplicity_ by the power of prayer and good fortune. Flama was too young, she could not help my daughter with her healing powers and she was just as agitated and uncomfortable as I was all that night. The poor creature knew what to do, and yet she was too young and was as helpless and useless as I was, but she was a comfort to me in her own sorrow as she perched herself on my shoulder and wept with me for the child at my fireside.

The storm raged on outside, and inside we kept our vigil doing all that we could think of to keep Helena alive. Everything we did, we did in her best interest, but nothing seemed to work. We wrapped her in blankets but she shivered more violently. We tried to feed her, but she could not keep the food down. The magic and the potions that we would administer would take time to work and although none of us were true healers, we did our best. My heart goes out to my dear friends the Whites, who did everything within their knowledge to brew potions and elixirs to heal and comfort my poor suffering child. As the night wore on I had fallen into despair believing that she would not survive, but morning dawned and the child lived on, fighting every ailment that had come over her. I held her in my arms as the sunlight broke through the clouds, she was still alive, and I cried for my past, wept for the future and prayed that she would hold on and stay with me. I vowed to never leave her again and I begged the incoherent child for her forgiveness for ever leaving her.

When the storm had passed and morning had dawned on the day that followed the great arrival, _Simplicity_ was thrown into a great and dizzying whirlwind of action. Godric remained in my cottage with Helena and I, as the White whisked back and forth from their own home and the great woods where they found many of the ingredients for their potions. As for the mass of strangers that had arrived, and for whom we had granted shelter and safety, began to observe the state of affairs in the village they knew that there was much to be done. They were busy trying to settle themselves into a life within a magical community and the idea of reestablishing, once again, came over all of us. It was true, _Simplicity_ was small, we believed that we would not see great additions to our numbers for quite some time, or perhaps we didn't believe in bands of roaming, homeless, magical people, but rather that we would stumbled across one or two here or there. It was a sorrowful day and a joyful day, simply to know that people lived and that they had survived this long. I was happy to see people like me, and yet I could not be happy because my child was so very sick. In any case, we needed to make room, and the only way to do that was to start construction once again. I am so proud to say that everyone, new and old, jumped into helping one another and in the course of several hours I watched as my small village blossomed into a community of more than I had anticipated. As days passed the building were erected, the clothing was made, the children played and laughed in the streets that made up the small square and soon people were happily settled and ready to contribute to the greater good of all of us.

I must be honest; most of that spring went by in a blur. I spent most of my time in deep fear, watching as fevers and illness plagued my child. I studied her face and watched her through many uneasy sleeps, but she was a stranger and a miracle to me. I saw in her so much of Rochard, the husband I had loved and lost. I wanted to know the extent of her powers, how her magic was a part of her, but she was despondent. When she was awake her cries were delusional, she shrieked and fought anyone that was around her, when she slept her breathing was shallow and I believed that she was going to leave us in any moment, but that little girl hung on. She struggled and fought against the illness with everything she had within her, and my friends and companions did all that they could to heal. I was unaware of any of the elixirs or spells that might heal, but I knew that one day there would be a great devotion to the art. I knew that it needed to be taught, and learned, to help the people of our future. It was imperative to our survival, and we needed to believe that something good would come of it, even thought it was hard to believe as the child lay sick before us.

My cottage became a central location. The people that had been traveling with Godric and my child spent much of their time coming in and viewing the progress of her illness. There were many diagnosis and many attempts at cures, but nothing seemed to work. It was in this time that I learned the faces of all my new neighbours, but not their names. Outside of my cottage the village was changing. There were so many different skill levels to the magical folks that now wandered around our safe place. Quickly cottages were built, techniques were shared with one another and the comforts of being established began to take hold of the lives of the wanderers. Where I was not able to teach my young protégés, the newly established picked up in my place, and I truly began to believe that it would take a whole village to raise our children, because I was too preoccupied with illness and the fears of death to think about teaching those around me.

This was one of the darkest times in my life, next to the witch hunt, but by late spring improvement began to be seen all throughout _Simplicity_. Helena awoke from her haze, and although she was unsure and frightened, she recognized Godric and was calmed by his presence. I was peaceful in this time. Godric was with me. My child was alive and doing better, and the village was thriving. It wasn't long before she began to recognize me, but she was distant, withdrawn and suspicious. I worried about her greatly, fussed over her as a mother ought to, but she was never content and my heart ached to know the secrets to her heart. She looked at me as a stranger, although she knew who I was and what had happened to me, but there was anger in her eyes. I tried, in that spring and early summer to get her to open up. She creamed at me, hated me, and she was reluctant to join in with any of the other young people that dwelled within the magical confines of the village. My heart broke, and yet Godric was hopeful and helpful in his attempts to show Helena that I was worth her time and her love. She listened to the man that had saved her life and gradually she began to open up to the idea of having a mother, but there was still so much torment in her eyes. Something troubled her very deeply.

Godric remained in _Simplicity_ only long enough to see that Helena was well on the road to recovery and to make sure that all those whom had journeyed with him were safe and settled. We had tried to convince him that _Simplicity_ needed a man of his stature and ability to take a leadership roll, but Godric was certain that there were others out in the world that needed his help, and he left us as summer began to heat the world and the crops and settlers were well on their way to growing into prosperity within _Simplicity_.

Helena took the news the hardest. She watched as the villagers begged him to stay, but nothing they said would be good enough. She didn't care if there were others out in the world. She had begun to see Godric as a father, her primary teacher and protector, and there was nothing that she could fathom that should take him away from her. She was young then, only just eleven years old, and she had struggled for much of her life. She pleaded with him and him with her, to try and make her see the reasons for his departure. I tried to comfort her but she simply became angry with me. I had never seen such anger or passion in anyone before. She was like a wild animal. Like the fevers had taken a hold of her again and she fought everyone that tried to tell her otherwise. She hated Simplicity because it was, in her mind, a dumping ground and Godric was to abandon them all, when he had promised to protect them. But Godric would not be persuaded to stay and he ultimately left as he always had.

The departure of her hero broke Helena's heart. She had spent all of her time following Godric around and learning from him, as I stepped back into my place as teacher to the other young people within the village. Helena had watched me and my students, from a distance, in the early days after Godric's departure and I believed that, in that time, she was not sure how to act with the other children or that she was uncomfortable with the idea that I had surrounded myself with children after I had left her for dead. Looking back on that time, when she was so young and so impressionable, I believe that she was jealous of the attention that the other children were getting and that I was getting from them. I don't blame her in the least, and I should have done more to make her feel welcome among them. Maybe I should have put my teaching on hold and dedicated all of my time and energy to Helena, but there was so much to do and so much need within the village. I could not be the one person that took time off from everyone else, while the village worked and struggled together. I knew that I needed to teach Helena that she was not to think she was the center of the universe but I didn't think it that important then. Looking back, maybe I should have scolded her, or maybe I should have forced her into playing with the other children, but I didn't. Perhaps in that time I wasn't being much of a mother to Helena, but I was trying at the same time to understand why she was being so distant. I had tried to include her in the lessons and the teachings that I was giving to my students but she was reluctant and simply watched us from the shadows of the village houses or through windows. I think, now that I look back on that time, that she needed the tough love, but I had already abandoned her, thinking she was dead, and I did not know how to make up for that. I still don't and I never will. As far as my child is concerned; I was a terrible mother.


	9. The Story of Rowena's Diadem

Chapter 9: The Story of Rowena's Diadem.

As the summer passed us by and the young people became more devoted to their lessons Millany showed her true nature to me. I had worried for a long time about the young, spoiled child, but she had changed so much in the two years that she spent in _Simplicity_. Her parents were still increadibly proud of her, they still spoiled her with their attention and praised her every accomplishment, but there was a simple pleasure in the way she accepted their praise and it was truth that she had become a beautiful young woman.

Helena was quick to detest the young, pretty, woman that spent so much time with me. She scowled at Millany, took great pains to sabotage lessons or ruin potions that she tried to master, but Millany took everything my young daughter threw at her and passed it off as Helena's need to try and fit in. Millany was patient in her attempts to teach Helena and I praised them both for their efforts, much to Helena's dismay, but Millany was graceful and appreciative of all that had come to be apart of her life and I wanted Helena to see her as a roll model.

Millany, I believe, was one of the reasons that Helena was so reluctant to take part in my lessons or to let me into her life at all. I fear that Helena thought that I had replaced her, long ago, with Millany. Like Millany was more of a daughter to me, but that was never the case. Millany had her parents. She was well liked by all in the community, and her attitude had changed so dramatically from what she once was, that I had hope that my daughter could change as well. The truth, dear readers, was that Helena acted just like Millany when she first came into _Simplicity_ and did not have everything handed to her. I believed that by watching Millany and knowing about her transformation, Helena could do the same.

Millany became a helper, a confidant and a care giver to the children that entered the village with their families; seeking refuge the previous spring. She led them around as if they were all her little subjects and she devoted herself entirely to her magic to show the younger children just how important learning was. Millany was, to me, the perfect prefect to our little school and that is what she became. She was the roll model for the children around her. She mothered them in a way, gave them advice and showed them that life could be easy. She did as she was told, encourage the younger children and, with Levon's thriving ability, the two of them became the first mentors to the students.

Millany was a kind young woman, but it was still hard for her to let go of her past. Soon the time would come for her to choose a husband, or to go off on her own. As _Simplicity_ grew around her, and she began to obtain more responsibility, I believed that she would remain with the village and I would soon see her with one or another of the young men that joined out ranks. But in that summer, as things began to settle down and people began to work together, once again, Millany learned to live in a simple way that made her happy. She loved being in the school. She loved the children, but most of all, she loved the little life that she was leading and how so many people looked up to her, thought she was beautiful and admired her. Sadly, Millany never lost her vanity, but she was not cruel and gave hope to many a young lady who looked at her and her beauty. She became the 'little princess', as I had been apt to call her, and was becoming the woman that I had hoped to see emerge from her.

One day, as we finished out lessons, and Millany and I sat quietly tidying up the school house that we had established to accommodate the growing number of children, I began to ponder what would be the next thing to happen to all of us; at that time we had children as young as four years old learning to read and write, as well as, the young adults as old as eighteen or nineteen learning their magical skills that they had never been privileged to learn before they came into the village.

I had started off teaching from my cottage, but when the numbers jumped from four to fourteen, I could no longer accommodate them all. Millany took great pride in her roll within the school house. She worked primarily with the smaller children teaching them the life skills that every child learned and showing them the kindness that she had never been given when she was young. She made socks and mittens for them and always gifted little trinkets to the children. The girls always had bright new aprons to wear and the boys were proud of the hats and belts that Millany masterfully transfigured for them. She was a beacon of light in the school, a true teacher and nurturer, and as we sat together, Millany planning her grammar lessons and myself gathering the materials necessary to teach the students their early transfiguration skills, we chatted about the future and our dreams for _Simplicity_.

"Are you content here, Professor?" Millany had asked as she stared dreamily out the window and across a field toward some workers, many of them young men.

"I am," I answered calmly as I stopped to watch her. "Are you?" I asked.

"I am," She answered softly, "I believe that I could be very happy here for the rest of my life. I have made great friends, learned great things and I feel safe here. The children, for the most part, are lovely and quite entertaining, and I love coming into this school everyday to work with them. Is that not the true meaning of this little village?" she asked as she tore her attention away from the field and the workers and looked at me once again.

"I believe you are right," I smiled, "but I fear that we will not always live as simply as we are now. We will be thrown into uproar once again when Godric returns with more people, as he has promised to do, and if that is to happen our simple little village will grow once again. Do you have any concerns with that?" I asked her as I watched her ponder what I had just said.

"No," Millany stated a cheerful gleam in her eye, "everyone deserves to be happy and safe, and if the great Godric Gryffindor believes that _Simplicity_ is the place to bring people and to give them their lives back, then I have to be happy for those poor souls that have not had the wonderful years that we have had. They need to come to us and to be accepted into our midst just as we have all accepted one another, and who better than yourself to lead them and guide them? They will see the great teach and mentor that you have become and they will love you for generations and generations to come, just as we love you now."

"I am not leading the village," I laughed, "but rather, I am one in the group of elders that is trying to govern and keep the peace among all our community. It is not up to one person, or the other, to make all the decision, but rather, we have to share in all of our duties, just as you and I share in the upbringing of the younger generations. Do you not love all of the elders as you love me?" I asked her.

"They are all wonderful in their own rights, but I believe that I love you the most for your kindness and everything that you have taught me," Millany answered.

"But you have learned much from the others in this village as well," I stated.

"I still have much to learn," Millany said softly as she rolled her wand over in her hand, "but I am so grateful for all of the things that you have taught me, and that I may teach the younger generations. I believe that my true place is as a teacher, but I would have never had that passion had it not been for you. I am so grateful to you, that I have made you something to show you how much you have been a positive influence in my life. To me, you will always been the queen of _Simplicity_, and I predict that someday your name will be one of the most well known names in all of history."

I blushed and watched silently as Millany transfigured a small pile of pebbles and downy feathers that she had pulled out of her pocket, and I was pleased and quite impressed with the beautiful gems stones and metal work that began to bloom before my eyes. When she was finished she placed in my hands a Diadem that I would later treasure above all of my belongings. I didn't know then what I know now, but my beautiful little Millany was right and I wear the Diadem now in her memory. It was the first gift that I had ever received from one of my students and it meant so much to me as I had watched her created this beautiful decoration with the skills that I had taught her. Millany called me the queen of _Simplicity_ for the first time that day and had told me just how devoted she was to the profession of teacher and her want to help those around her. I knew in that moment that I had succeeded in my task of becoming a great teacher. I had affected her life in a positive way, and she was going out into the world to do the same.

I was so proud of the young woman that stood before me, but little did I know that my own child had watched what had transpired between me and my student. I can understand now why Helena would have been so jealous of my dear Millany, but at the same time I was ready to accept Helena into the community and show her off as my daughter but she would not let me.


	10. A Wonderful Stranger

Chapter 10: A Wonderful Stranger.

Time passed away just as it always had in my village. Years rolled on, people learned, and the community changed. The village was no longer a village, but a thriving town. Children were born and the elderly passed away, and the years drove us toward the present that I am living in. _Simplicity_ grew by leaps and bounds, and before we knew it people came to us from far and wide. Word spread throughout the magical community abroad that the town was thriving and being protected, and so it wasn't long before Godric returned again with another wave of people and was gone just as quickly.

I was happy in that time; Helena began to open up to me. She participated in the school that I was running with my older students and took a great interest in all of the magic that I had to teach her. She had given up much of her anger and had begun to accept her place within the community. At fourteen she was showing all of the signs of becoming a brilliant witch and a beautiful woman, but her heart still had a lot of secrets. Levon worked extensively with her, being only a year older than her, and she began to take great pride in having a friend to talk to. I saw in Helena and Levon and great resemblance to Godric and myself, when we were young and I hope that Levon would not break her heart, or she his. Helena began to take pride in the position that I help within the community, but there were days when I didn't feel like she was proud of her connection with me. She would pace about, flaunting that I was her mother, but when she didn't get her way she was angry with me. I hoped that she would give up that attribute in time, that someone as pure and as kind as Levon would show her the way, but there were days when I had reason to worry.

Godric was also more thoughtful in those days. He gave to use ample notice that he was bringing us more people, although he never told us how many, and the community, with all its different trades people and specialties, began to prepare for the next arrivals. As with all things the community began to grow as people settled among us and we became more content in our situation. We soon acquired a wand maker and a doctor who specialized in spells and potions to heal, the children could all read and write and knew all their arithmetic from Millany's skilled tutelage. She was our primary teacher by then and was teaching the children that would soon move onto more difficult educational endeavors. With the addition of more children we had to open a primary school, in which Millany was the headmistress, and the older students came to me and my colleagues to learn their magic. The farms prospered, the animals flocked to our gates and surrounded the village in the great woods that were just beyond our borders. Flama became a great mystery to our doctor, she was not an adult Phoenix and able to heal with her tears, but she was still young in her behaviour and clung to me excessively. Nabi had brought to us a new clutch of elegant grey owls and soon we had a full Owlery and postage service that was stationed out of our town's community hall. The elders of the town made up the primary counsel and they worked together to make decisions for the greater good of all the people within our community. There were places of gathering built; pubs and shops were prosperous filling our streets with robe makers and bakeries. The people of _Simplicity_ were in want of nothing. With every arriving Witch or Wizard our magic became stronger. Godric stayed only long enough to make sure that we were well protected and that his charms and spells were strong enough to keep us safe. Word had reached us once again that there had been an uprising in the witch hunt once and Godric was busy seeking out those who could protect us and was putting in place all the measure that would keep _Simplicity_ hidden from the outside world. We had our own police force within the town now and they worked to keep our safety measure in place and our crime down. We were well looked after by the people Godric trusted. Our town grew; we were happy together and felt safe with all of the specialties that carried on around us.

One day, late in the fall of our sixth year as a community, a group of gypsies came down the road that led them into the vicinity of _Simplicity_. Some of those that traveled with them were of magical background and could interpret the magic that was around them in our protective spells, but the others could not. We worried for a time that the gypsies would give away our location, but because there were magical and muggles traveling together we knew that there was some kind of agreement among them. It turned out that the gypsies were good, kind, people, very much misunderstood just as we were and they were taking in whom ever they could to try and find them a place of refuge. The magical gypsies who knew of our magic and who had heard whispers of our community came looking for us. We opened our gates to the gypsies, all of them, and marveled at the good humor and kindness they showed to our people.

Among them came a jolly woman with eyes that sparkled like stars and a child like desire to witness everything magical. Her name was Helga Hufflepuff and she became one of my dearest and most trusted friends. She saw in everything magical a wonder and beauty that most did not see and every being with the ability to produce magic was a mystery that was like the stars in the sky and the wind that whispered through the trees. She captured my heart and the hearts of my students immediately as she visited our school and threw herself into our midst; teaching the telling stories to all of the children.

The gypsies stayed a very short time, but many of the magical companions remained behind, Helga was among them. The elders of the tribe of gypsies believed in the magical powers that people possessed and knew that _Simplicity_ would be a safe place for those who were discriminated against and the children that showed powers that their villages shunned. We took these people in, gave them food and shelter and welcomed them into the community. Helga was thrilled to have her children with her, all the little ones they had saved from execution or desertion because they were different and our school began to overflow. I was lucky, very lucky; to acquire in Helga a witch of great ability and knowledge, and, quickly, she became a passionate teacher within our school house.

Right away she became a favorite with the children and her jolly nature moved her up in the ranks of the village. She was sweet, she was lovely, she was kind and loving and her personality captured even my Helena's heart. They shared times together that I only dreamed of, but Helga always help her conferences with my child in my house and I was always apart of it in some way. Helena loved Helga just as I did and we became closer because of the jolly little witch that stumbled into our midst. I owe so much to my dear friend. She opened up a relationship between me and my daughter that I had given up as fantasy. Helena was a softer gentler person because of Helga and I liked who I became more because of her.

Helga Hufflepuff, to this day, makes my soul sing and I wish I could be as happy and as full of childlike wonder as she is. She had made so many of my dreams come true, and I am so grateful to have her working with me here in this magnificent school.


	11. The Need for a Bigger School

Chapter 11: The Need for a Bigger School.

Once again, as winter raged and we fell into one of our coldest and most trying seasons ever, Godric returned with another group of refugees. This time, there were children by the dozens that followed him like the Pied Piper. There were very few adults with him, but his powers were so strong and well established that the children were safe and sound in his presence. He knew that they would all be safe within the borders of the magical city and so, as the wind and the snow pelted our town, the elders and the families within its walls began to ready themselves to adopt and welcome into their midst the children that had been heralded by one they respected so greatly.

I will tell you now, dear reader, that Godric was a man whose heart had been stolen by the children. He loved them above all things and I believe, had he been of the settling in nature, he would have been a most fantastic parent. His head wept for the child that was left behind and if ever he stumbled upon one, he had to make sure that they were safe and sound. Many a muggle child lost in the woods or abandoned was helped by Godric Gryffindor. He risked his own life to bring them into villages and to make sure that they were taken care of. I believe that is why he is so well respected to this day. No matter what, a child is a child and they deserve the opportunity to live.

I knew early on that the children were coming. Nabi had been summoned away from me and returned with Godric's letter. A list of names, as long as my arm and filled with children ages raging from infants to young adults arrived on the breezes of early winter and we quickly began to place them all within houses of the town. It was a busy, but joyful time. Our own Mr. Ollivander, a wand maker whose children were already studying the art of wand making, was already preparing for the onslaught of children needing wands and he was prepared to take in children to his workshop, and so were his sons. Their houses would soon be filled with adopted children and would reach out into history as some of the greatest wand makers around.

Haas and Gretel although already well into their elderly years were preparing their cottage for children and Levon, who had by this time, turned into a young man and was content with his little house was also ready for children to take up residence with him. He had not yet married, but he was ready to take care of anyone that was in need. Helena was disappointed by his open heart. She felt betrayed by the idea of him taking in children and not giving her his attention, but she could not stay mad at him and soon became reconciled to the idea of his raising children.

Millany, I am pleased to say married a young man from our village and had become the mother she wanted to be. While she continued to teach the younger children in the school and raise her family in the well established farmhouse of her husband she began making room to take in more children and her husband opened his heart to all the great joys that more little ones would bring. Chase, as he was called by many in the village, was a hard working man, a brilliant farmer and highly respected wizard. He was also very skilled in the healing arts but his passion remained in the fields with the plants and the animals that surrounded him. He was perfectly suited for Millany and she was happy and proud to have caught his attention. Their hearts overflowed for the children that would come into their lives and they looked forward to teaching and raising the large family of their dreams.

My biggest concern, however, was that our school house was already full to capacity. Millany had to take on more teachers in the grammar school and we could not fit anymore students into out school of witch craft and wizardry. We had many children already living in _Simplicity_ and we were not going to turn any away, everyone was welcome to seek refuge, but how and where were we going to teach them all.

Helga knew of my concerns. She sat with me many days as we worked together to make clothing for the children that would arrived and to prepare our lessons. Helga kept an immaculate garden of magical plants in a magical green house perfectly suited for those types of flora and which entertained her greatly. It was by this garden that she taught most of her lessons, but on this day we sat together, close to the fire in her cottage knitting.

"We knew one day we would run out of space," Helga stated as she rocked in her rocking chair and smiled as the needles worked before her.

"Yes, but I didn't think it would happen so fast," I stated, my own needles working away as I hand stitched a girls pelisse on my lap, my wand tucked behind my ear.

"Perhaps it is time to petition the village to construct a larger building," Helga stated. "We have space; there is a mountain that would hold our castle and children quite nicely. I'm sure Godric would assist if he was given ample notice as to our endeavor. It could be huge and we could invite students from all around to come and learn with us there. It will stand as a magnificent sentinel over our simple village and will one day be the greatest magical institution in the world." She stated dreamily as she rocked, her eyes closed and a smile spreading across her face.

"You are such a dreamer," I laughed at her in that moment.

"It is a beautiful dream, don't you think?" Helga asked. "You have been dreaming of a school since you settled in this place, since you built your little school house and since you started keeping your students as professors in your one room building. It's far from the grand school that you have dreamed about, and yet you are working toward it. Your students call you professor, but your school does not warrant that title, not yet at least. A castle and thousands of witches and wizards is what you long for. I am simply painting the beautiful picture of a castle on the mountain truly showing off our grandeur."

"You are correct," I admitted. It was everything that I dreamed about, but I didn't know how it would all work. I knew I couldn't do it alone, but with help, with Helga, it all seemed possible.

The arrival and the ultimate departure of Godric brought with it even more hope of one day seeing a great school before us. Godric would know just how to obtain the impossible dream and I hoped that someday he would stay long enough for us to tell him of our plans. The children came, they were adopted into our community and for the first while we made due with what we had. No child was left behind. They were all treated with equality and were given every opportunity that we could give them to learn and to be taught in our little school. Little did we know what would truly become of our beautiful little dream; it was the dream that gave birth to our legacy.


	12. Salazar

Chapter 12: Salazar

In time, Godric returned again. This time he looked like he had been beaten and broken. It frightened me greatly and my heart froze in shock, Helena too knew the horror of seeing here hero in such horrendous shape, but there was another man that had arrived with him. His name was Salazar and it would seem that the two of them had become quite close traveling companions. He was a tall, proud looking man, and I could help but feel like he was reading me like a book. My mind felt like it was opened and all my secrets spilled out without saying a word. He saw my fear at the sight of my drear friend and assured me and my daughter that everything would be alright so long as the fabled Phoenix was capable of healing.

Flama was quick with her task when Godric arrived and I was very proud to witness her work. She had all the instincts of her kind and his ailment and injuries were cured by her tears, but Salazar was suspicious of the bird as he watched her. She was still young, by the standards of a Phoenix, and a bit clumsy because I could not teach her what other of her kind could, but her instincts were sharp and she knew what was needed. She fussed over Godric for several days, after he was healed by her tears, and soon Salazar began to see the benefits of the bird that had been a gift to me.

It was difficult; once again, to believe that Godric wished to go back out into the dangers of the resurgence of the witch hunt, but he was determined to do something great with his abilities and no sooner had the tears of my Phoenix touched him, the words of departure escaped his lips. There were still many people out there in need and Godric was certain that he would find them. He struggled against my protestations and he saw the fear and hopelessness in Helena's eyes, but he would not be swayed by us.

Thankfully Salazar was just as brilliant and brave when it came to the people of our kind who needed our help, but he also held a great influential force over Godric and his behaviour. This new wizard among us was able to convince Godric that a prolonged stay within the safety of _Simplicity_ was imperative to their plans and that the establishment and safety of our thriving town would one day benefit all of our kind. We were the first, he would say proudly, and many other villages would follow in our stead. His mind was great and his powers of divination even better. His perditions were usually correct and Godric know of his prophetic powers.

Reluctantly Godric agreed and we were thankful to see him finally establishing himself in one of our newly constructed cottages, and take up his rightful place among those protecting _Simplicity_. Many of us had always been determined to keep him around but his call to duty was far greater then our powers of persuasion, but now we had him and there were many matters that we were prepared to put at Godric's feet. Salazar joined him, deciding that it was best to call _Simplicity_ home, and quickly he too rose up among the favorites in the village.

Salazar was a truly brilliant man. His specialty was within the realm of protective and defensive spells, and within the short time in which he came to call _Simplicity_ his home, he revolutionized our protective forces and stepped up to teach us all how to stand firm in the face of danger. He was a born leader and a true teacher. He took great pride in the advancements of the towns people and they admired him for what his contributions were to their simple lives. The longer Salazar was with us, the safer we all felt, and we knew that we needed him among us.

In that early period I doubt that any of us would have known what would happen between us. It was clear to many that Salazar, Godric, Helga and I were among the wisest and most accomplished witches and wizards in the village, but we all worked together toward the greater good. It was a peaceful time within the walls of our city, but outside and all around use the world continued to fall apart.

Salazar, much like me, was a great teacher and quite fascinated with the animals and magical creatures that were found around us. He was proficient in the identification and understanding of many of the different species, but he specialized in reptiles and creatures that dwelled in the night. I had never seen such animals before but I became very interested in his nocturnal animals, and especially his ability to speak to snakes. I understood later on why he had been so leery of my Phoenix when they had first met. Many of his snakes have deep fears of the bird, and so he too had gained some of their instincts. It was quite fascinating to behold, and he seemed to take great enjoyment in my curiosity.

Contrary to popular belief, Salazar was very sympathetic toward all people and creatures. I feel that I must defend him in that respect. Salazar harbored a lot of hatred toward the non-magical community, but so did many of us. He was kind and wished to see the innocent protected, and all forms of magic understood. I will admit that he was prone to falling into deep depressions and dark moods, but that was understandable when one thinks about what he had lost. Salazar was the only man remaining in a long line of one of the great ancient families. They were talked off from far and wide, and although it is not know exactly how, Salazar himself was a direct descendent of Merlin and that magical blood line, but the witch hunt had murdered his parents and his siblings because they tried to take a stand and to make the people of the country see just how important and beneficial magic was. They were slaughtered and Salazar, though he fought with them and believed in their cause, was saved. He was a brilliant wizard and a good man, but there were times that he frightened all of us with the darkness that followed him around. At the same time, however, his contributions to the village were too numerous to count and I spent much of my time fascinated by him and his knowledge, and working extensively to make him feel welcome and to learn whatever I could from such a brilliant man.

I will admit, dear reader, that there was something enchanting about the mysteriously handsome man that was Salazar Slytherin. My time spent with him was often very pleasant, and we did make great advancements and discoveries together. In a time of great turmoil and distrust it had been common to send the men out in search of the magic that remained in the world and Salazar was prepared to this if we needed him to, but he was also an inventor and Divinant. In the early days of his stay in _Simplicity_ Salazar perfected a method of tracking and summoning magical beings that was far beyond his time, technologically speaking. It would end up one of our most important tools when the great school was founded, but at the time we were pleased to know the names and the faces of the witches and wizards that were still alive, while we remained safely within the walls of our fortress like city.

I know the idea of a crystal ball seems clichéd, but Salazar was a brilliant divinant and was able to conjure his crystal into a tool of detection. He could ask it anything, tell it very little, and with a simple spell bring up the names and faces of all of the beings in the country that were of magical descent. With my Owlery and Nabi's brilliance we were able to send word and instructions to those in need, protecting all of our men, who would have gone out in search of the lost. People flocked to _Simplicity_ because of the advancements of Salazar Slytherin and the protection he promised. They came by the dozens, veiled in darkness, and arrived to make their homes in a safe and accepting place. It was what I had always hoped for, for my people, and I could have never done it without Salazar.

Yes, I will admit that this does read like a love letter or a pledge of devotion, and to an extent it is, but I cannot bare to think that the name of Salazar Slytherin will forever be tainted by the misunderstandings, and the want for power, that have come into our present state. Salazar was a good, kind, man, but he was angry, and my heart breaks for him now. I had not thought that at my age I could fall in love again, but I believe that I did. I would never have admitted it then, not with Godric so close and my child by another man living within the city walls, but looking back, I had fallen in love with Salazar Slytherin and I love him still.


	13. I Dreamed a Dream

Chapter 13: I Dreamed a Dream.

Time has a funny way of slipping by. It is not uncommon to miss large quantities of time because of the monotony of the day to day, or the excitement of growth, but it does pass you by sometimes at an alarming rate. I look back on it now and wonder where it went. I know that much happened in that time, but nothing as interesting as it needs to be remembered by anyone other than myself. It is all in the past now and many other things will join it in the recesses of my memory.

Much time passed and much growth occurred after Helga, our wonderful stranger, and Salazar, our protector, arrived in _Simplicity_ and before the true extent of the dreams of my youth would be achieved, but every day seemed to draw the inevitable nearer. We had all settled into the bustle of our metropolis as Salazar sent out summonses to the magical people living in the world, and more and more people arrived, seeking refuge in _Simplicity_. In that time _Simplicity _was growing by leaps and bounds, and year by year we had to reach outside of our boarders to make space available. The name of our little town no longer held the meaning that it once had. We were not living in simplicity, but many of us had settled into simple lives there.

In those days, as the first born to _Simplicity_ graduated out of my lessons and into the society we had built for them, we began to see just how much had changed in the nearly twenty years that had passed us by. We were a tight knit group and yet we were growing daily. People that came to use were, some of them, broken and badly damaged from what the witch hunt had done to their lives, other had escaped some how and managed to stay out of danger but they were always on the run. The glories of _Simplicity_ were felt by many. It was a place to be simple and not run. It was a place to heal and feel like you belonged. It was a place to not be alone in the world, but rather, you were surrounded by people just like you. There was happiness to be found in _Simplicity_, and many people breathed a sigh of relief to have found us.

One afternoon, after taking out classes out into the woods to learn about the flora and fauna that was apart of our world, Godric and I came to the base of the mountains that over looked our village and found what none of us had dreamed was near to us. The edge of the great lake had eluded us for years, but on this day as we wandered, the water crept into our view as Godric and I continued to stroll talking about our past and all that had occurred in the years that we were apart.

Let it be known that I will always have a special place in my heart for Godric Gryffindor, but my hopes and dreams of a life with him had long ago faded, and my understanding of his personality had become clear. There wasn't anything apologetic nor was there anything romantic in the way we spoke to each other, but the sight of the lake, and the sweet songs of the creatures that lived within it, caught us both by surprise and we stopped to listen and rest by the waters edge.

Godric had changed a lot in the time that he had settled into life in _Simplicity_. He was calmer, much more contemplative and far more interested in a settled, quiet lifetime of teaching. He was still the brave adventurer that he had always been, but now he saw adventure in the eyes of those who could learn from him and for whom he gave his protection. It was an easier life for him and he liked simply living, rather than running all over the country like a fugitive. But he was still Godric and his secrets lay far deeper than anyone could reach, and he was not going to give them up easily.

We sat silently together, at first, then something clicked and Godric began to speak.

"I dreamed a dream once when I was a young man, when I was alone in the world wandering aimlessly, thinking of the home that I had left behind and the life I could have had. I had a dream of a place where we would all belong, but it would seem that you beet me to it. I am proud of what you have done, Rowena, I only wish I could have been apart of it from the very beginning. You were right, long ago that we were similar, that we could have been together and done great things, but I was a stubborn, young, man then. _Simplicity_ is the city of my dreams. It was a place where we could all be together and work as one magical community. I had dreamed of it when I was lonely, when I had regrets about leaving. I am so happy to have finally found It." he stated as he looked out at the water.

I didn't know what to say, nor did I really understand what he was talking about so I remained silent.

"I should have married you long ago and things would have been so different for me." He added as he watched the clouds reflected in the still water, "but what is done is done, and we have, both of us, become very different people."

"This is true," I stated not quite sure where the conversation was heading. "And yet, our lives have led us right back to where we once were. The city of your dreams was not my dream, but rather, it was the necessity of those who survived the horrors that attacked us. We needed a place and so we formed it. It has grown to what it is because of you."

I knew Godric had noticed my interest in Salazar, but I would not have admitted it then. I was in denial about my feelings and I could not believe Godric the jealous or even the marrying type. I'd given up on the ideas of him and the dreams for myself, for that matter, and now that we talked about it, I still couldn't see it happening nor did I want it to. I was getting older, but I was still young by magical standards, but my life as an educator had changed my outlook. I was still a selfish person, but I liked to think that all I was doing was for the greater good of the future generations. I was selfish in the respect that I wanted to be remembered long after I was gone, and I believed that my efforts in _Simplicity_ were leading me toward that goal, but still the great dream of a school for magical children was alluding me.

I watched Godric for a moment and saw the contemplation in his face as he watched the water and the sky before I spoke.

"I believe that everything that has happened, has happened for a reason, Godric, and we cannot be remorseful or want for anything more. We are the lucky ones." I said after a long silence. "I cannot take the full credit, however, for what has happened here in _Simplicity_. If it were not for you, I believe, we would not be what we are today. You are so much stronger and more determined than I am, and much braver. I may be smart, but I could never do what you did in going out into the world and facing all of that danger. I owe you so much, you brought my child back to me and I am only trying to do what is right because the children deserve it." I added and then the truth of my desires came out. "I too have dreamed a dream and I believe that we may be in a position to achieve it once and for all."

"Tell me your dreams, dear Rowena, and I will do all in my power to make them into a reality." Godric surprised me with his response. "Perhaps in this we have dreamed the same thing once again."

"I have dreamt that one day all children of magical descent may have the opportunity to learn and marvel at all that magic has to offer. I want to give them a safe place to live and a warm bed to sleep in. I want to teach them how to protect themselves, how to read the stars and the runes of our ancient past. I want them to know about the magical creatures that they wouldn't normally know about, and I want to see them nurture one another in their skill. They need us, Godric, to show them how to transfigure, or how to disapperate. They need to be taught how to brew potions, and we must teach them to never forget the history of our people. They need to know that the dark arts can be defeated and that beautiful things can be accomplished when we work together. The children need to know that there is a place for them all to belong; where none of us will judge them because they are different. They need peace of mind and I believe that we can give it to them. We built a village to keep us all safe, why can we not make this school the greatest magical institution in the world? I want to be remembered for my contribution to the next generation and generations to come." I stated, everything flowing from my mouth in rapid succession, while Godric stared at me in disbelief.

"You seem to be on the right path." Godric stated after a long moment of contemplation, "but I understand what you are saying. It could be a monumental endeavor, but at the same time it could be a disaster."

"That is why I cannot do this alone," I stated my heart dropping with every passing moment and every obstacle that seemed to place itself metaphorically in my way. "I can dream this dream, but I cannot make it a reality on my own. I need you. I need your bravery and your guidance, and I believe that we need our friends. We could change the world and save our future, but I am scared to jump into it all by myself, but you, you know the unknown and have seen all that has plagued the world. Do you not want to end that for every child that lives and breaths?"

Godric was silent as he looked out over the waters and glanced at the woods that surrounded us. The setting that we found ourselves in lent perfectly to the beautiful idea that I was painting, but there was so much to think about, so many obstacles and questions, but most of all, it had never been attempted. The longer he remained silent, the more I began to believe the idea unobtainable; merely the ramblings of an old woman. My heart sank, my dream faded away on the wind and yet I could still see all of the good that I had done by the children that were with me from the very beginning. I owed them something, a legacy, a promise. I had come too far to stop now.

"Imagine a place where everyone was equal upon their arrival," Godric whispered as the wind blew across the water.

"Where we could teach them everything we know," I said a warmth and excitement colouring my cheeks. "Imagine what the future would be like for the magical community. Imagine the discoveries and the advances because the children were given the opportunity to learn."

"It is settled," Godric stated as he rose from the place where he sat and looked down on me, "we will do it. It will be a school for witchcraft and wizardry, and it will be our legacy. I make you this pledge, here and now, that my life with be your life and the life of all the children from here on out."

"You don't think it is foolish to want something like this?" I asked feeling childish and frightened.

"It will be our greatest adventure yet, but you must follow me this time. Come with me into the unknown, because the unknown is your dream. It can be done and we have what we need to truly change the world." Godric smiled and with that we left the lake and returned to our village. The wheel had been put into motion. It truly was the beginning of our greatest dream.


	14. Rowena and Helena

Chapter 14: Rowena and Helena.

My talk with Godric, at the lake, had changed my outlook on the whole endeavor. I returned to the village and sought out my dear friend Helga before anything else could happen, and we talked about our beautiful dreams for the school. She and I had placed the idea in each other minds, and now that it was opened to one whom we all admired, the difficulties of starting gave way to the excitement of finishing what had been our work so far. The teaching had not been something out of the question, I had been teaching since I had come into this small group of people, but now it would be a true institution and so many people would benefit from learning the magic that they would not have known before this point.

I felt like a child again, full of excitement and fear. Things could be talked of so easily and yet we had no idea how we would accomplish our goal. The fear that the idea would remain nothing more than an idea was crushing and yet the idea was out in the open for all to know. The lake had enchanted us. The forest protected us and the mountain looked over us. I saw the enchanted castle within all these natural wonders and I knew that someday I would see it become real.

Soon after that first evening Godric, Salazar, Helga and I began discussing the school at length and the idea became a plan, or rather, a course of action. We, the four of us, continued in our day to day routines, keeping many of the details of our meetings secret and working just as hard as ever for the good of our city, but it was difficult to keep the secret for long. Helena was always around. She had taken more of a role as a teacher and yet, as long as Godric was in the village, she became his shadow. It was beyond our powers to keep her from talking and soon all of the teachers in our two small schools knew of the developing plan.

Quickly the idea became the talk of the town and everyone from our tradesmen and seamstresses, to our children began to marvel at what other excitement was around the corner. We knew the establishment of our school would not happen over night, but there was enough interest at this point to push us all to believe that what we were proposing was possible.

The only person who was unhappy, it would seem, was Helena. She was quite vocal in her displeasure and objections toward the project, and ranted and raved about the failure that it would become. She angered many of the citizens of _Simplicity_ with her angry words and pessimism, but we were all determined to over look her selfish and negative behaviour, and we went ahead with our plans to establish the school and begin drafting the plans for the construction of our castle.

Helena hated that her cries for attention went unheard, but she became blinded with jealousy when Levon began spending his time talking about the project with excitement and great anticipation. Levon had done everything in his power to be a role model and positive influence in the village. He was raising the orphaned children much as his own and he had dedicated his time and energy to teaching. Any interest that he might have had for Helena was waning; tainted by her behaviour and jealousy, and soon he began to see the Wizarding School as the calling of his life. He wanted to be a part of our prosperity and was sure that nothing could change Helena that would bring her around to the project. He at one time wanted to see her as an important part of the village, following in my footsteps and had at one point even loved her, I believe, but she was selfish and unchanging in the way she behaved and Levon moved on.

I am sad to say that I truly underestimated the darkness that had filled the head of the woman that was my daughter. She was a stranger to me and although I tried to reconcile all those years, she proved to me that her hated was formed and unchangeable. That I would never be forgiven for the thing that I had done, or the things that I might still do.

One evening as the winter began to set in, once again, Helena returned to my home for the last time. She had been out in the village at one of the pubs that had sprouted up and she returned to my house, anger and vengeance in her eyes. She entered, her wand drawn and a curse on her lips as she stared at me and my work that lay out on my table. I had been working as hard as ever in the schools and with those whom I was fashioning to become professors within the great wizarding school of my dreams, and if I was ignoring Helena it was not because I didn't love her, but because she was not interested in following me into a new time. She wanted to be her own person, she was a woman now, and she needed to find her own way, but she was always shadowed and selfish, wanting everything handed to her and unhappy to have to work for anything. She was the spoiled child still and I did not know what else to do to change her. And so it was that she found me, deep in through and busy with the work that I saw as the most important work I would ever do.

She came in and stared at me before I turned to see her and it was then that she started into her tirade.

"I hate you!" Helena spat as the wind howled behind her. "You have been the bane of my existence, the plaque in my happiness. You have stolen from me everything and you don't even know it."

I was shocked to hear my daughter speak to me in such a way, but her verbal assault wasn't over.

"You should have let me die!" Helena screamed as tears burst from her eyes.

Flama paced her perch in agitation not understand why such a commotion had disturbed her slumber and I could calm neither the bird nor the woman who screamed and sobbed and cursed the things that I had compiled around me. Feathers from pillows were set a flight, Flama screeched and screamed as Helena tried to attack her, but Helena was emotional, and though she did a lot of damage to my home, her aim was off and my poor Phoenix was shaken up, but not injured.

"You are so many things to so many people and they love you so much but they don't know what a terrible person you are. You abandoned us!" Helena screamed. "You let them kill my father. You let Godric come and go as he pleased and you've enchanted Levon with your stupid ideals. He's just as delusional as all of you! There is nothing left for me because I will always live in your shadow, never as good or as smart as you! The people here are all fools to believe so completely in your unobtainable dreams!" She carried on like a banshee and my heart shattered with her every word.

I had never meant for these things to happen to my daughter. I had wanted more then anything to be a mother to her, but she would never trust me and I understood why. She felt abandoned, and that was what I had done to her and nothing I ever did would make up for that. For my moment of weakness in the face of danger, I would forever be hated. I had abandoned my child.

Helena stormed out of my home and into the night never to return there again. She left the safety of the village, which I would later learn was against the better judgement and wishes of Godric and Levon. Salazar and his crystal ball could always locate her, which was a comfort to me, but she did not return to _Simplicity_ until much later in her life. By that time the name of the city had changed and the first class had graduated from Hogwarts, but at least we knew she lived.


	15. Hogwarts is Born

Chapter 15: Hogwarts is born

My behaviour had changed greatly in the light of my failure with my daughter. I missed her dearly and I hated myself for what I now knew was the impression of me that she harbored. I could not function as happily as I had once and though there was so much going on around me, I knew that there was nothing that really mattered anymore. I had to be strong for the others, for the children I saw every day and for whom all of what I had done for the past twenty years had been for, but I could not think about myself and what I had accomplished without thinking of the biggest failure of my life.

My heath began to suffer in this time. I was often ill, susceptible to many things and healed only by the potions of my prize student and the tears of my phoenix, but I carried on as I knew everyone needed me to. That winter was one of the hardest I had ever known and the cold chilled me to my core. I believe heartbreak was a cause of my descent, but I could not tell that to those who were excited around me. I bore with my pain, suffered silently believing I deserved it, and wished and waited for spring, always praying that Helena would return and I could do whatever in my power to convince her to forgive me.

Still, as the winter raged on and my depression became greater, so too did the developments of our spring plans and the initiation of the ground breaking project that would change all of our lives forever. Salazar and Godric were the primary consultants on everything involving the building of school. When first told of the idea Salazar was skeptic, but with the excitement of the people and Godric's determination, Salazar came around and dedicated his time and his efforts to the project. Soon he became just as involved as all of us, and the dream became his dream. The two men were inseparable on the subject, joined together with a common goal, and everything that was to be decided was decided by the two of them.

The location was chosen by Godric, it's lay out and all the materials were indicated by Salazar and the protections that would surround our glorious castle were a mixture of the two of them. We knew early on that Salazar and Godric would make up the primary authority within the school, each one acting as the other second. Helga and I planned the curriculum and worked extensively with all of the brightest and most accomplished witches and wizards that were known to be dwelling within the safety of _Simplicity_. Levon, Lucas and Fairweathers twins were among the first to be named to the profession of teacher within the first faculty of Hogwarts. The seamstresses within the village were commissioned to fashion our wardrobe and school uniforms. The clock makers and blacksmiths conjured up our bells, our time pieces and the great gates, and as spring brought life back to the sleepy world the ground breaking took place and every trade and materialist within the village was set to work in preparations for one of the biggest projects _Simplicity_ had ever seen.

The day that our dreams became the project of our future, Salazar, Godric, Helga and I climbed into the mountains with the first group of workers to clear the site for what was to become our school. At the top of the mountain we looked out and were pleased to see the village that we had all been such a large part of creating. The village was thriving as the smoke and sounds of the city floated up into the air, and we could not help but sit and think back on what had brought us to that point.

My mind wandered to Helena and where she was in the world. All of the other people, children, that had been important to me were now preparing to follow me into the profession that I had desired and deemed as necessary to all the magical children in the realm, but Helena still roamed the world without a purpose. My heart ached for her and as I looked out at what was my world, I wondered what would have been different if the school existed and she had all the same opportunity that the children were about to receive. I wanted to believe that things would have been different. I wanted to understand what had happened to make Helena so selfish, but none of the answers could come to me and I had to give up my thoughts of the past for thoughts of the future.

I looked at my three friends, as we stood on that mountain, and I thought of all the things that had been decided and what they would mean to the future. We, the four of us, founded a dream on that mountain top and each of the people that I called my friends deserved to be remembered for different reasons. Without all of us, Hogwarts would not be what it is and I am thankful that we were blessed enough to survive the dangers and allowed to created what we founded.

Salazar was content knowing that he would be the first professor of defense within the school. He vowed that no child would ever have to feel the fear and defenselessness of the witch hunt because he was prepared to teach them how to protect themselves, and defend their right as human beings to live. He would also teach them the arts of Divinations and would show them how to see into the future, the past and even the present. Salazar held the links to the magical world and his gift of enlightenment was where his students would find the light in the darkness. One of the four dormitories within the school would be named after this brilliant man. He had marked his way through the plans for the castle and had chosen his space for his children and their futures. The darkness of the dungeon was chosen for his pupils because he wanted them to not fear the darkness but to thrive in the challenges that it would give to them. It was by this act that we all decided that our founder's privileges would also make us the guardians of every last child that came to live in our castle. Slytherins would be brilliant, brave, and cunning; they would forever bare the name of their founding father and would follow in his footsteps as the protectors of magic.

Like Salazar, Godric had his ideals and his beliefs of what the school would mean to the children. He wanted the students to look out on the world and see all of its potential. They were the adventurers, the pure of heart and the explorers. They would always seek to make each other the best that they could be and protect those that had little. Godric would be the first professor of history, of Ancient Runes and Astrology. He would teach his students about the world that was around them and how to prosper within it. He chose the tallest of the castle towers as his place of inspiration and so it is there that the Gryffindors dwell, always looking out on the world, the village and the mysteries that lie within the waters and the forests of the world. Godric would teach them not to be afraid of challenges but rather to go after them and be the warriors of their kind.

Helga was mystical in her ideas of what her children would be like. She was a gypsy at heart but she had found her true places within the education of the future generations. She wanted her students to know the earth and all that it had to offer. She would be the first professor of Herbology and Transfigurations, and would always bring brightness and happiness to the students. She was jolly, and so too were her children. She chose the middle ground for her students and so they find themselves off the great hall right in the middle of what is the castle. A true Hufflepuff is centered yet dreamy, jolly but serious. They make friends easily but are worldly, and respect everything that mother earth has given to us. There is a song in the heart of every Hufflepuff.

Which I suppose leaves me. What do I have to give to my students? Knowledge and understanding, a true Ravenclaw is smart and always in search of what else they can learn. I hope that my students can see the beauty in learning and can take part in the acts of teaching. A Ravenclaw is a teacher in itself. I was the first professor to many of the others that would take up their quills and teach as I taught. I was the founder of the great library, and collector and writer of many of the books that were first entered into the Hogwarts catalogue. I was the first teacher of Care of Magical Creatures and Charms, and later developed the flying, apperation and disapperation courses, and Animagi classes. Like my birds I chose to dwell within the towers, not the highest, but the closest to the Owlery where my beloved Nabi stayed and reared her young. We have a multitude of owls now and we rely on them for almost every form of communication.

Among us, I am pleased to say, the first teacher of potions followed in the footsteps of his grandparents and I marvel at his ability and mastery every day. Levon is, and will forever be one of my brightest stars, a true Ravenclaw, and I am proud to see him affecting the students in the same ways that I once did. All of the orphans that came into his life, for whom he loved and nurtured, came to dwell in Ravenclaw house and are all teachers and academics now.

The Fairweather twins are our Arithmancy teachers, and they swear that two heads will always be better than one when it comes to Arithmancy and I tend to agree with them. Their students thrive through their classes just as the babes of _Simplicity_ thrived in their own right. Numbers were always something strange for us. We grew with leaps and bounds but the Fairweather twins will live on as the children that founded it all. It was for their protection and the protection of their parents that _Simplicity_ was founded, and now they move on, multiplying the millions that pass through our school and live with us for seven years of study.

Last but not least, Lucas, the first child born to the city of _Simplicity_ teaches with us as well. He is a brilliant professor taking care to promote magical education whenever he can, but strangely he was the developer and executor of our muggle studies. He believes that to understand the muggle fear of magic is what will one day save us from the horrors of the witch hunts, and I agree. He never saw the outside of the city, and yet he knows what the muggle world is all about because he grew up wondering why we were so greatly feared. He has done marvelous things in that field of study and his students seem to enjoy it greatly. He is the most accepting when he meets a child who is sent to us from outside the magical world. Muggle born children are admitted to Hogwarts because magical blood flows in their veins and no child will be left behind. This pure blood wizard acts as a father to the muggle born and shows them acceptance in this world. He makes me so proud.

And so it was that Hogwarts was born. The construction of the castle was not quick, but it was not slow either. It took two seasons, interrupted by winters, to construct the full castle; with all its magical staircases and mystical rooms. We now dwell within it. There were additions and subtractions, and secrets that not all of us know about but which have been rumored and run into throughout the years, in this enchanted place. The students fill its halls with laughter and wonder. Our rituals are now deeply routed in everything that we hold dear and magic is accepted and thriving within these walls. The dream of my youth has become a reality.


	16. So We Move Onward

Chapter 16: So We Move Onward.

The first class of Hogwarts students was excited and energetic. They worked hard and made us all proud to be their teachers. The following year we accepted a second wave and so on into the history of our great world. It wasn't long before the school began to attract many other people to the town that I had founded with the first people living in simplicity. The name of our city changed in the early years of the Wizarding School as its acclaim reached out into the magical world. No longer was it called _Simplicity_, but its name was fashioned by the thousands that called it home. It was time once again for change in the lives of the villagers and so it was done. Hogsmead was born in the shadow of the castle and it remains that way to this day.

Helena has returned to the safety of the village that adopted her, but she has not yet come to me. I don't believe she ever will. There is too much hurt and pain for her to forgive, and as I moved onward with the idea that I had dreamed, so too, I suppose, did she move into the desperation that she has found. I wish that I could make things right with her, but I doubt that it will ever happen. I shall die knowing that I failed her and it will not be soothed by all that I have achieved. I will be remembered by many, loved by thousands, but I will never be loved by the one that should love me. I hope some day she reads these words and know that I do love her, with all my heart, and that I am sorry for the weakness of character I possessed. All I ever wanted was for her to live her life, I am happy that she has, but I am sad that I was never apart of it.

Here in the castle I have taken up my residence with those whom I have trusted with the secrets of my life. The four founders are here in this place. Salazar and Godric rule over it like kings. They are the head masters and from year to year each one of them takes their turn at being the one in charge, but there will always be darkness and disagreements. I have seen it start to take hold in the castle and prejudice is a serpent that will creep into even the purest of hearts. I hope that reconciliation can be made between two men who have long been friends, but I fear that the things that have been said and the spells that have been cast will never be forgiven. Sadly, they are still young men, proud and stubborn, but I do not know for certain what the future will hold.

Helga has developed beautiful green houses and planted trees and other plants that would not usually be found in this area. She had become friends with the creatures of the water and we know she whispers to the spirits that fill the wind. She is happy here and I always find happiness and consolation when I walk with her in the midst of her plants and when I hear the students praise her as their beloved teacher. It is hard not to love Helga Hufflepuff, it is simply in her nature to be loved, and she nurtures all that see her through those eyes of admiration.

I too have found a kind of peace, although my heart will never mend from all the turmoil it has known. I know that I can never love another man like I loved my husband and I will never be forgiven by my children, dead and alive, but I am loved by those who have come to the protection of Hogwarts. I will always love Godric, he was my first love and though I never through I would say this, I am happy to be spending the rest of my life in his presence. We will never know a romantic love, like I knew with Rochard, but there is a love between us that stems back to our childhood. He is my brother, my protector, and my companion now. I must say that I will always hold a place in my heart for Salazar as well. He was a mystery when he arrived but he taught us how to hold our ground and protect ourselves. He was kind and gentle to the animals and the children that he watched over and he was always determined to accomplish what he set out to do. I loved Salazar for his determination and the bright light he could see in the future. He was enchanting and he will forever live on as the mystery he was within the walls of Hogwarts.

I may be old, or growing older, but I know now that I have done what I have set out to do. There is now room in the world for magical education and I am pleased to say that we are giving to our students the best that can be offered. We have truly come to live our dream and what the future holds is both exciting and frightening. Salazar has seen and made prophesies that are dark and dangerous, but for now there is a kind of peace with children aged eleven to seventeen and with whom we share our knowledge.


End file.
